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Weak Bladder = Major Bummer for Sporty Spices

Weak bladder. Incontinence. Urinary stress. Leakage.

Could there be a more awkward topic? No wonder so few people talk about it. But despite this silence, some research suggests that as many as 46% of women suffer from a weak bladder. And new research shows that this condition is discouraging many women from participating in sports.

A study recently published in the British Medical Journal asked 679 Italian women whether they had ever had urinary stress incontinence. The anomymous responses showed that around 1 in 7 (15%) said they suffered from the condition. On average, the women had been putting up with the symptoms for six years.

Of those affected, almost half said the condition occurred during routine activities, while one in three said it occurred solely during sporting activities. One in five said it occurred in both circumstances.

One in 10 women said that stress incontinence had prompted them to give up their favourite sport. A further one in five said that the condition had restricted or forced them to change their activities, in a bid to avoid the risk of leakage.

I’ll be honest with you: I’m a frequent pee-er. And I admit, I get a little nervous if I know I’m going to be without a bathroom for a significant length of time. When I’m at the movies, I always pee right when the previews start. When I’m out on the town and happen to find myself in a place where I know there’s a bathroom, I always use it – just in case I won’t find one later. As for the great outdoors, I’ve learned to squat.

Try adding Kegels to your gym routine!

The good news is that most bladder control problems are due to weak pelvic muscles. Like all muscles, these can be strengthened by repeatedly flexing them, a technique many of us know as Kegel exercises.

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One thought on “Weak Bladder = Major Bummer for Sporty Spices”

Another possible cause for women: fibroids. Mine were pressing on my bladder, and sneezing, laughing, or coughing were very problematic. I had the fibroids removed (19 of them via myomectomy) in 2005 and haven’t had an incontinence problem since.

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Hi, I'm Monica. I write about how to be awesome through a "smarter fitter" approach to eating, drinking, living and working. I love avocados, outdoor adventures, road trips, making things, music, summer solstice, creative people and smoothies! Learn More →